National Football League

Offseason review: Seattle Seahawks

Published Jun. 14, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Pre-draft needs

G, ORT, C, DT, QB, WR, CB, DE, OLB, K

Draft class

Round 1: James Carpenter, OT
Round 2: John Moffitt, G
Round 4: K.J. Wright, OLB
Round 4: Kris Durham, WR
Round 5: Richard Sherman, CB
Round 5: Mark Legree, FS
Round 6: Byron Maxwell, CB
Round 7-: Pep Levingston, DT
Round 7: Malcolm Smith, OLB

Potential free agents of note

Matt Hasselbeck, QB
Sean Locklear, ORT
Chester Pitts, G
Tyler Polumbus, G/OT
Chris Spencer, C
Brandon Mebane, DT
Junior Siavii, DT
Craig Terrill, DT
Raheem Brock, DE
Will Herring, OLB
Leroy Hill, OLB
Kelly Jennings, CB
Jordan Babineaux, S
Lawyer Milloy, S
Olindo Mare, K

Post-draft needs

C, QB, DT, G (depth), DE (depth), CB (depth), OLB (depth), WR (depth)

Analysis

Despite making the playoffs last season — albeit with a 7-9 record — the Seahawks still have plenty of needs to fill coming out of this year’s NFL draft.

They began to address one of those major needs in the first round with offensive tackle James Carpenter, who will line up on the right side with his new team. It’s worth noting that Carpenter, according to personnel sources, had as low as a third-round grade from other teams, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready to play at a high level as a rookie. Some teams projected Carpenter, who played left tackle at the University of Alabama, to play guard because of his physical style of play.

The Seahawks addressed another major need at guard with the selection of John Moffitt in the second round. Moffitt will be expected to compete for a starting job right away. While veteran offensive lineman Stacy Andrews is projected to start at one of the guard spots, he’s listed with a base salary of $5.25 million for 2011, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be asked to take a pay cut.

Outside linebacker wasn’t a major need, but fourth-round pick K.J. Wright is capable of backing up at either outside position. It’s important to note that starting strong-side linebacker David Hawthorne’s contract is up after the 2011 season, so Wright could fit in at that position for the long-term.

Like outside linebacker, wide receiver wasn’t a huge need, but the Seahawks badly needed depth at the position. Fourth-round pick Kris Durham didn’t put up huge statistics at the University of Georgia, but the tall receiver is known in scouting circles for his solid route running and good hands.

Out of Seattle’s final five selections, fifth-round pick Richard Sherman is the most intriguing. He played wide receiver in his first three seasons at Stanford University, but moved to cornerback for his senior season. He has rare size for the position (6-2) and solid athleticism.

While the Seahawks surprisingly didn’t select a quarterback in this draft, they remain interested in re-signing veteran Matt Hasselbeck. Should he sign elsewhere, look for the team to sign another veteran to challenge Charlie Whitehurst, who is the only quarterback currently under contract, for the starting job.